


A Change of Perspective

by Nurisiliel



Category: True Blood (TV)
Genre: Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, Cat, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Maker and Progeny, Protective Siblings, Witchcraft, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:02:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29250408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nurisiliel/pseuds/Nurisiliel
Summary: He was ready to die. Ready to see the sunrise one last time and to welcome his true death. But he had not thought of the centuries-old magic of the young witch he had once met. A magical spell that would change his world forever...
Relationships: Godric/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own True Blood or any character which you may recognize from the show or books. They belong to Charlaine Harris and Alan Bell. However everything else is my own creation.

**Prologue**

"I am your husband, woman! Come back to the house immediately! You have to obey me!"

Magdalena ran as fast as her legs could carry her. But his angry gasps were coming closer, no matter how much she tried making her legs move even faster. It was hopeless. She had seen only sixteen summers and been indoors most of her life. Her father hadn't wanted to see his daughters running around outside. And so she was running now for the first time in her life, with neither the necessary physical condition to run from this monster, calling himself her husband, nor the knowledge of where to go.

Magdalena clearly felt that he was getting closer and panic flooded her body. But following an inner inspiration, she turned her steps to the grove and prayed to the goddess for a miracle; she knew that in his drunken state he would beat her until she wouldn't wake up again to see the next sunrise.

As she stumbled through the undergrowth, she lost her balance and fell to her knees. Her good skirt was now completely dirty and torn at the hem, but she didn't even notice that in her fear. Quickly, she wanted to straighten up again, but then she saw a spring in front of her and her eyes widened. High above her, the cloud cover broke open and the full moon sent down its silver rays through the leaves gently blowing in the wind. And in the shining silver light she saw a man with a young appearance kneeling on the bank washing his face with the sparkling water; dressed only in dark pants, drawings on his chest and arms and two long fangs shining through his half open lips. Her knowledge told her that she should be afraid of this creature, who straightened up, looking directly at her now. But her intuition flooded her with confidence and she bowed her head respectfully.

Then she heard her husband storming through the last trees and jumped up to step into the spring. Full of confidence, she turned her back on the strange creature and stared at the man she hated with all her heart, who was also stumbling out of the underbrush at that very moment.

"Woman! Get out of that water. Your behavior is absolutely undue and I will _not_ accept it!"

Magdalena saw him jerking open his belt and knew what he was going to do with her. She closed her eyes and knelt down into the cool water of the spring.

"Oh goddess, my heavenly mother, send me strength, because soon I will go to my ancestors. This time he will not stop. I give myself into your hands, my goddess."

A second later, she then felt a breath of air and a gentle voice spoke to her from near her ear.

"The gods never answer, young one. If you want to see something done, then you have to do it for yourself. Mark my words..."

"Hey, who are you? What do you think you are doing? Keep your hands off my wife, strang-!"

Everything happened so fast. But Magdalena watched in fascination as the strange creature with the soft voice suddenly grabbed her husband by the throat and held him in the air without effort.

Magdalena, mesmerized by the play of his muscles in his intriguing body, couldn't keep her eyes away from him as he picked up the belt her husband had dropped. With a disgusted expression on his face, he sniffed at the leather and then growled loudly at the wriggling man in his grip.

"What kind of monster do you have to be if you beat your wife that her dried blood still sticks to your torture instrument, even though she is no more than a child!"

Her husband tried to fight back, but he had no chance. Whatever this being was, it was much stronger and could only have been sent to her by her goddess. Magdalena sent a prayer of thanks to the heavens and startled slightly when she heard the cracking of his wind pipe, followed by a shrill whimper.

With a grim expression, the creature released her tormentor, who immediately sank to his knees and sullied himself.

"Pathetic human. You are not even worth it, that I take you into me through your blood."

As if time stood still, he leaned slowly down to the constantly whimpering something on the ground and grabbed his head with both hands. Then he looked at Magdalena, and with a satisfied glint in his eyes, he broke her husband's neck.

She knew she should be scared, shaking with fear. But all she felt was deep contentment and happiness to finally have escaped this terrible man. With proud eyes, she looked at the creature, which, with slow strides, came towards her now and crouched down in front of her.

"I thank you," she whispered to him and bowed her head once more. "How can I repay you the mercy you gifted me with taking him from me?"

"Are you not afraid of me?" The stranger wasn't even an arm's length away from her, and if she wanted, she could have reached out and touched those long, pointed teeth. But she didn't know if he would resent her, and so she stayed back.

"No, I'm not scared anymore; you freed me from the monster I was afraid of. I am in your debt. Please tell me how I can repay it. I would do anything."

"Anything?"

Suddenly, he gripped her head with his right hand while burying his face in her neck.

"Here is a second lesson for you, young one. Always be careful with your promises. Always..."

Magdalena felt how he run his nose up her throat and then nibble gently on her earlobe. It was a gentle touch, without violence and fear, and she closed her eyes with a barely audible sigh. But in her mind's eye she suddenly saw her long-dead grandmother in front of her and remembered the stories that her grandmother had always told her when she was a small child. Stories of beings of the night that survived by drinking blood from humans. This memory conjured a smile on Magdalena's face and she made a decision.

"I know what you are, stranger. You are a vampyr... And I offer you my blood as a token of my gratitude for my rescue."

As she spoke these words, he let go of her ear and leaned back. He tilted his head slightly to the side and looked at her thoughtfully. For a brief moment he closed his eyes and became very still. Magdalena had once seen a drawing of a Roman statue, and when he knelt in front of her so completely motionless, he looked just as beautiful as this statue. Unable to ignore this magical attraction to him any longer, she touched his cheek and immediately his eyes were fixed on her again. When she wanted to withdraw her hand he grabbed her wrist and held her inexorably but gently.

Then she suddenly felt a strong breeze behind her and heard someone else step into the spring. Curious, Magdalena wanted to turn around, but the vampyr's gaze had captured her whole.

"You should know, fair maiden, that I share everything with my child. He is particularly hungry now because he has not found anyone that night who could satisfy all his needs. I am sure that you are the right one..."

"Maker, I assure you that she is just right," Magdalena heard a deep full voice and felt a hand, which slowly stroked her hair.

"Would you offer my son your blood as well, young maiden?"

"What about you? Will you drink from me, too?"

"Hmm, unfortunately, you are quite small and if both my son and I would feed on you, you would be with your goddess faster than you would like, dear child."

He brought her arm, still held by her wrist, to his face and kissed the back of her hand.

"But do not worry, dear child, as soon as my son is satisfied, I see your debt as settled."

"Will you tell me your names, strangers?"

Again the vampyr looked at her thoughtfully and then shook his head. Then the second knelt before her too and she could look at him for the first time. His appearance was different than that of her savior. Instead of delicate dark curls, the moonlight broke in on him on long blond flowing hair, which was held together with a hair band. His gaze, however, was just as intense and captivated her immediately, too.

"When you wake up tomorrow, you will not be able to remember us, beautiful maiden. But do not worry, until we take away your memories, you will enjoy this night like no night before."

Magdalena saw a cheeky grin on his face, but she felt cold inside.

"I implore you, leave me my memories. Secrets are not foreign to me and I will also guard yours. Nobody will ever know anything about you from me. I'd rather die first. That I swear by my blood."

Her oath seemed to make the two really think about it. But not for long, because a short time later, she was suddenly lifted by the giant and carried the few steps to the shore.

"Remember, my son, I wish for her survival that night," she heard a whisper as she was laid on the ground.

At these words Magdalena should really feel anxiety, but everything in her was a strange anticipation. She knew that she wouldn't be the same after that night and was looking forward to her new life. She watched with her rescuer as his son undressed and then he was suddenly over her and stroked her cheek.

"Tell me, my beauty, have you ever lain with a man?"

She couldn't help her flinch and with a tortured expression, she looked in the direction of her dead husband. Hearing her rescuer say something in a foreign tongue she then looked back to the man who was still stroking her cheek.

"Forget him. After this night you will never get involved with such a stupid and cruel man. If you encounter one again, you will leave him immediately. Or cut his throat... That is up to you, depending on what the best decision in the situation will be."

Magdalena saw a devilish smirk on his face and shuddering at the thought of killing someone she also wanted to drop her eyes, but his magic did something to her. She felt exactly that he was sharing his very own magic with her and accepted it without saying anything. Deeply absorbing his magic, she relaxed completely and nodded gravely.

"I will do that."

"Gooood," whispered the man, kissing her with a fervor she had never experienced before. When he demanded admission with his tongue, she granted it without thinking. At the edge of her consciousness, she heard her rescuer humming a soft tune she didn't know. But soon she was distracted by his son again as he pulled away from her mouth, only to bury his face into the crook of her neck a second later. As he bit her gently with his normal teeth, she felt a surge of hot energy that seemed to flow directly into the center of her femininity. She didn't expect such a strong reaction on her part, and startled she squeezed her legs together.

"Ah ah ah..." Magdalena heard the whispering voice of the blond vampyr at her ear and then her legs were gently but surely opened wide. Under her skirt she felt a cold hand move up the skin of her thigh, approaching her center. At the same time he nibbled more at her neck and the humming in the background lulled her more and more into a constant bliss.

Magdalena was by no means a virgin; her now dead husband had made frequent and extensive use of his right to sleep with his wife. But it had never been pleasant to her in any way. This was the first time she shuddered at a pleasant and intoxicating feeling and so she gave herself completely to the sensation.

When a groaning moan escaped her lips, her skirt was gathered up to her waist and she saw the vampyr lie down on her. His weight was pleasant on her and connected her more strongly with Mother Earth on which she lay.

She knew what was coming and full of anticipation she wanted to close her eyes. But then she felt another hand on her cheek which moved slowly down to her chin – her savior turned her face in his direction and looked at her with night-dark pupils.

"Do not close your eyes, dear child. Let me see it in them when my son takes you."

His words left Magdalena panting with pleasure and then she felt it... At the same time as he entered and widened her, the chains of the spell that her mother had imposed on her a day before her wedding were also blown away.

She lived in a dangerous time and no one was ever allowed to know that both her grandmother and mother as well as herself too could use the magic provided by the great goddess. She had heard about the witchcraft trials that took place all over the country and therefore asked her mother to cast a spell over her that she could no longer use her powers and couldn't by chance be spotted by her husband. But now he was dead and she embraced her newfound freedom. She vowed silently to herself never to have her powers imprisoned again.

It was such a great sensation and so overwhelming that she saw only blinding lights as the vampyr bit right into her neck and began to drink her blood. Magdalena tried to comply with her savior's request not to close her eyes, but she couldn't have sworn that she succeeded with it. She was just a jar full of raw energy, and as the son of her savior steadily increased his energetic rhythm, she could only clench her hands firmly on the ground, hoping not to lose herself in this incredible feeling. Then her inner pressure became too much and everything exploded in a cascade of dazzling brightness and relief.

Only marginally did she notice how her body arched and undulated under this experience and that the two vampyrs spoke again in that foreign tongue. As her breath slowly calmed, she saw again the face of her savior, looking at her with an unfathomable expression.

"You have my gratitude, dear child. Thank you," he said and then suddenly pressed his lips onto hers. They were velvety soft and demanding at the same time. And unfortunately he broke away too fast from her, which for Magdalena tasted like a goodbye kiss.

And she should be right. When she sat up a few moments later, the man who had just shown her how it could be when a man and a woman lay together was fully clothed again and already standing on the other side of the spring next to his father.

As fast as her slightly shaking legs permit it she then stood and looked after these mysterious men. Her magic still flooded her uncontrollably and that gave her an idea. With a firm voice she called after her savior.

"I will never forget your kindness, creature of the night. With the holy spring before me, the full moon above me, and the magic given to me by the goddess, I swear that I will hold you dear as long as my heart may beat within my chest. My magic will always accompany your steps from now on and should you ever get into a situation that threatens your life, you will find yourself protected by my magic. It will enable you to escape and take on a new perspective to face the threat."

When she had begun to weave her spell, he and his son had stopped their walking and turned around again, eyeing her with intense gazes. She curtsied and nodded goodbye to them.

"Whenever you need a sanctuary, both of you are always welcome in my home and that of my descendants. I am Magdalena Clarke, and that I swear by the blood of my family."

When she looked up again, she saw how the vampyr also nodded and then just a blink of an eye later he and his son were gone. She would never see them again, but hopefully her magic would be strong enough to assist him whenever he needed it...


	2. Chapter 2

**~ A pet for her? ~**

  
_'… I'm driving around in my car, I'm driving too fast I'm driving too far. I'd like to change my point of view, I feel so lonely I'm waiting for you. But nothing ever happens and I wonder. I wonder how I wonder why. Yesterday you told me 'bout the blue blue sky and all that I can see is just a yellow lemon-tree. I'm turning my head up and down, I'm turning turning turning turning turning around, and all that I can see is just another lemon-tree…'_

Lilia sucked the balmy evening air into her lungs as she mentally sang along one of her favorite songs. She had the headphones secured with a light hair band, so they wouldn't fall out during the ride and, worse, get into the spokes of her bike. That would be the culmination of a lousy day – after having overslept, she had forgotten her prepared sandwiches, had then to step in for a colleague who had broken her ankle while playing football and, last but not least, a storm gust had carried away her work cap, causing her hair to hang around her face all day long thanks to the stormy wind. Because of course she had forgotten to grab a hair tie in her early morning rush... The hair band looked very childish with its motley colors, but at least it kept Lilia's long curls from getting into her eyes. And that's what was important for her at that moment.

Now she was on her way home, only wanting to put her feet up and re-watch the first season of Heroes with a bowl of her favorite mueslis. She could already see in her mind how she took the cereal package from the shelf and collected her favorite bowl out of the cupboard. The young woman loved such mental games as they always shortened the time on her way home. But as she mentally shook the package and wanted to pour the cereals into the bowl, her face lost all color. Without mercy her subconsciousness pointed out to her that already yesterday she had held an empty box in her hands.

_'Damn it!'_

Normally, Lilia wasn't the type of person who cursed all the time, but just then she felt like it. After all, she didn't feel like going to the supermarket now after her work, which was indeed fulfilling, but nevertheless very exhausting too. Resigned, she inwardly said goodbye to her couch snack and promised herself a large bowl of strawberry ice cream instead.

Maybe she could convince her brother to join her on the couch to lighten her mood again. Because if he had a weak spot, it was ice cream! But Lilia didn't have too high hopes. Lately, Leo was constantly hanging out with his best buddy – and perhaps already boyfriend – Caleb. And whenever this Caleb came to visit, her brother would ignore her which left her with enough alone-time for her mind to remind her of her biological clock that had begun to tick loudly. Because at the age of 24, she was the only one in her circle of friends who was neither married, had no children and where there wasn't even a boyfriend on the horizon. She had sometimes noticed that Caleb gave her strange glances now and then, but he had never even tried to flirt with her, so Lilia paid no attention to him after politely greeting him when he came around to hang out with her brother. Because, if she was honest, she found him nice, yes, but he was definitely not her type and of course, she knew that her brother was interested in him.

Lilia sighed while all those thoughts passed through her mind on the last part of her journey home. _'Maybe I should get myself a pet...'_ she thought to herself.

That might really mean a turnaround in her live. How did the saying go? You meet a lot of new people – and attractive men – when taking the dog out for a walk. But after thinking it over while driving around the corner of a house, Lilia rejected the idea again. Because having a dog would mean to be ready to do a lot of effort: Going outside in all kinds of weather, visiting a dog school, constantly watching him or her... No, that would be too stressful in the long run. Besides, she was out all day with her bike, so she couldn't even take a dog to her work and drive the animal around in a car for example.

 _'Okay, so no dog. But maybe... a reptile? A snake? A spider? Oh goddess, no!'_ A friend of hers at school had once told her about an uncle who had an expensive tarantula roaming freely through the house and hadn't forewarned a visitor. Unfortunately, when said tarantula approached the unsuspecting woman from behind and had then been noticed, after a panic-fueled war cry, the spider had quickly found itself on the Rainbow Bridge buried underneath a heavy book...

 _'Poor spider.'_ Lilia sighed again, thinking of another schoolmate who had had two giant slugs as pets during her teenager years. Lilia had once accompanied her when she was out for a walk with her pets... carrying them on her hand... With a shudder, Lilia remembered the slimy feeling she had when she had allowed one of the slugs on her hand. _'No, definitely not a slug for me!'_

The traffic light in front of her turned red, and with a slight squeal of the wheels, she stopped at the intersection. Now it wasn't far to her apartment anymore, and while she waited, she went through all sorts of domestic animals she knew. Without warning, her MP3 player turned off, and with a grunt of annoyance, she remembered that the battery had already been low this morning. Frustrated at her own forgetfulness to recharge the device on time, she plucked the earplugs from her ears and stowed the device in her jacket pocket. _'Could this day get any worse?'_

When the traffic light turned green again, she even hadn't gotten any farther with a decision which animal companion she would like, and sighed again. Maybe a pet wasn't right for her if she couldn't even decide which she wanted.

Passing the last big major lane, she suddenly heard a shrill hissing. It happened so abruptly that she started braking and almost drove into a garbage can. Then she heard several children laughing maliciously and the hissing turned into a painful cry.

"What the..."

Growing angry, she quickly turned her bike and drove into the lane towards the noises. If she couldn't stand something, it was people who tormented animals.

With a grim expression, she pedaled and looked around attentively. It didn't take her half a minute before she saw several children through a broken fence separating a backyard from the sidewalk. They were standing in a circle and laughed loudly. Lilia stopped and listened with narrowed eyes to try to hear any suspicious sounds from the group. And indeed; when a boy just pushed his foot forward, she heard a scream of pain again and with an angry movement, Lilia just dropped her bike and ran to the fence to push herself through a gap.

"Hey! What do you think are you doing? Leave the animal alone!"

She would have loved to shake some sense into the children, but when they heard and saw her coming, they all rushed away with loud shouts.

"Didn't your parents teach you to treat other beings with respect?" Lilia shouted after them in rage, dropping to her knees at the same time.

There was a cat in front of her – and what a beauty it was. It was a tabby, the black stripes and spots highlighting the silvery-white fur. Such a beautiful cat Lilia had never seen before. But when she tried to reach for the cat, it hissed at her and Lilia immediately pulled her hand away in alarm. Then she saw the injuries: The right front paw was bleeding slightly, and when the animal tried to get up and run away, its left hind leg twisted and it sank back to the ground with a whimper.

"What did they do to you?" Lilia whispered sadly, wondering what she could do. Thoughtfully, she chewed on her bottom lip and then, with a slow movement to not scare the cat any more, finally set down her backpack, pulling out her bottle.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Look, I have my water bottle here. Surely you are thirsty?"

In the absence of a bowl or cup, Lilia formed a hollow with her left hand and let some water flow into it.

"Do you see? That's just water; you can drink it."

Carefully she held out her hand to the cat and waited patiently. But the animal initially made no move to drink it. Instead, it stared at Lilia with its beautiful eyes. She almost felt caught in the intense gaze of those green eyes with golden speckles and could hardly take her eyes off them. It seemed like a mild hypnosis to Lilia. Because the longer the cat stared at her with inscrutable eyes, the more the young woman realized how the tension of the day eased away and her muscles relaxed. It was only when the cat lowered its head and broke their eye contact that Lilia could blink several times in succession again. She felt as if she had just awakened from a dream.

"Wow… that was weird."

Then she had to giggle as the animal's rough tongue brushed over her palm while licking the water away. This caused the cat to look up again and Lilia almost felt as if the animal was looking at her questioningly.

"Yeah, I know... Of all the places on the body I have to be ticklish on my palms."

With a giggled sigh she pointed to her water bottle. "Would you like more of the water?"

This time, Lilia was sure that the cat looked at her expectantly, and astonished, she let it drink from her hand several more times.

"You are very intelligent, you know that? Do you really understand what I'm saying, or am I just imagining it?"

As she searched for an answer in the cat's eyes, she felt it again. It was like a pull, as if the cat was trying to look into her very soul.

"Don't say that you're an enchanted prince." Lilia chuckled, and then scratched her head thoughtfully with her dry hand. "Although it would certainly be more promising to kiss a cute cat like you than a frog. But tell me, who do you belong to? Where is your home? Does anyone miss you?"

Hopefully, she looked around at her surroundings, but it was a rather run-down neighborhood and Lilia doubted that a well-groomed cat like the one in front of her would be kept in that area. Thoughtfully, she looked again at the still slightly bleeding wound and bit her bottom lip. Then she realized that the cat was staring past her and meowing softly before looking at her again... clearly pleading with its eyes. Frowning, Lilia turned around in the same direction the cat had looked before and saw not far from her something flashy on the floor.

"Hey, what is that? Is it yours?"

Quickly Lilia picked up the object. It was a round golden pendant which hung on a broken black collar. Thoughtfully, the young woman crouched down while examining the pendant in her hand. But contrary to her hope of finding an owner's name plus address on it, there were only the two letters E. N. in an ornate font on the front side.

"E. N.… What's that supposed to mean?"

She looked back at the cat and tilted her head questioningly. Again the cat meowed, but this time it had a painful undertone. Lilia quickly went back to the animal and sat cross-legged in front of it. Because of her movements, her index finger brushed over the edge of the collar, where it was cracked, and she realized it was very smooth. With a deep frown, she took a closer look. Her breath was taken away for a moment when she suddenly realized that the collar had been cut through. Shocked, she dropped the collar into her lap and eyed the animal in front of her with attentive eyes.

"Did the children cut your collar when it was still around your neck?"

Again a heartbreaking meow reached her ears, and to Lilia's astonishment, the animal stretched and tilted its head to one side. As a result, she could see a smeared red spot in the nape of its neck and she knew that it had to be blood.

"They hurt you there too. I'm so sorry…" With gentle movements Lilia touched and examined the wound and although the cat flinched slightly at her brief touch, no further blood flowed. It was different with the front paw though – that wound was still bleeding.

"Look, I know that will hurt a bit more, but I'd like to tend to your wound, okay? And then I'll take you with me? Because you cannot stay here without being able to walk. The area isn't exactly friendly, you know."

With nimble fingers she folded a handkerchief into a bandage and put a roll of adhesive tape on the ground next to her. At that moment, she was glad she always had a role with her.

"Now I'd appreciate it if you don't scratch or bite me, okay? Because I really have to tend to your wound so that it stops bleeding. And do you see my clothes? I'm wearing my uniform from work and it shouldn't get blood on it. Because, you know, my washing machine hasn't been working since last week and I have to wash everything by hand. And believe me, that is really exhausting. So…"

With a deep sigh, Lilia gazed expectantly at the cat, holding up her handkerchief bandage. And indeed, with a faint whimper, the animal stretched its bleeding paw in her direction and Lilia went to work.

It took a few minutes for the young woman to properly secure the makeshift bandage; the last first aid course she had attended had been way too many months ago. But after about fifteen minutes, she finally made it and, laughing relieved, put the tape back into her bag.

Once again she looked around whether anyone came to pick up this cat; but nobody came.

"Okay..." As Lilia looked at her bag and then at the cat, she quickly realized that the animal would never fit in there without running the risk of falling out on the way back to her home riding her bike.

"How do we do it now?" Lilia mused while chewing on her bottom lip again, unconsciously scratching the cat between its ears. She only became aware of it when the animal started to purr shortly thereafter. Surprised and startled, she stopped her movements, but even before she could think about pulling her hand away, the animal leaned into her palm and purred even louder. Lilia grinned down to her new friend then and restarted to stroke the cat with slow and delicate finger movements. It was nice to see that the cat had lost its initial fear of her in that short time and now visibly enjoyed the attention Lilia gave the animal. For several minutes, she continued with the petting and could see how a delicate trust started to build between them. When she moved her hand to scratch the cat under its head, the animal closed its eyes with relish.

"Ah, you like that? Cuddling is exactly your thing, am I right?"

In response, Lilia was given that thoughtful look again, and once again the young woman was astonished how deep the eyes of this beautiful animal were.

Carefully, she took the cat in her arms and thought hard, while searching her bag for something that could help her. When she touched the soft long scarf her mother had brought her from her last vacation, she had an epiphany – now Lilia knew how to transport the animal safely.


	3. Chapter 3

**~ Do we even have cat food? ~**

  
Securing her bike in the tiny backyard with her bike lock, Lilia hoped nobody would steal it. Usually, she put it down in the basement, but that would have to wait that day until she had taken care of her animal companion. Just as she heard the lock snap in, the last rays of sunlight of the day illuminated the brick wall in front of her. When she straightened up, she petted the cat reassuringly and protectively with her left hand. It had curled up again in front of her chest as she pulled the key out of her jacket pocket with her right hand.

It wasn't long before she stood in front of her apartment on the third floor. Just as she was about to unlock the door, Lilia heard loud laughter from inside. Sighing, the young woman closed her eyes for a few seconds. _'Caleb is already here again…'_

With a dark foreboding and another sigh, she pushed the front door open and entered her apartment with quick steps. But when she felt movement against her chest, she stopped and looked down in surprise at her beautiful cargo. The cat looked at her, clearly worried as it meowed quietly. Wondering about that behavior, Lilia tilted her head and studied the cat. Did the animal react to her sighing? Or did it feel something worrying? She knew that animals had a special seventh sense for such things. When the cat began to writhe in its cat sling, Lilia quickly began to stroke her new friend and quietly talked to it.

"Hush, dear. All is well. You don't have to be scared, we're home now."

Without realizing it, she gently rocked the animal back and forth and began to hum softly. Only when she had turned around so that she could look into the open living room, she became aware of the two young men who stared at her from the couch with incredulous faces and frozen motions. She too froze. On the screen in front of them, the two cars that they had been driving until that moment crashed into a wall, but that didn't seem to interest her brother and his friend. Their eyes were fixed on Lilia and the scarf-covered bundle that she wore in front of her chest.

"Hey Leo, hey Caleb. Do I have something in my face or why are you staring at me like that?"

Continuing to stroke the cat with her right hand over the scarf, she put her left hand on her hip and looked challengingly at the two of them.

"Uh, sister... have you stolen a baby? Because this morning you were definitely not pregnant!"

"Don't be silly, Leo!"

She continued to walk into the apartment and put her backpack on the kitchen table.

"But really, Li. It looks like you're carrying a baby. An aunt of mine carried my cousin like that when he was a little boy."

Lilia couldn't help but roll her eyes as she carefully removed the knot on her back with one hand to free the cat from its sling while holding the animal with the other hand so it wouldn't fall down.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I do _not_ like being called Li. You know my name and it would please me tremendously if you could use it. And now please step away, Caleb. I need a bit more personal space to unwrap my lovely cargo."

"How do you even know how to tie something like that?"

Curious as he always was, her brother had also come closer and wanted to look over her shoulder. But Lilia also shooed him away with her elbow.

"Have you forgotten that I used to babysit the neighbors' children? They didn't want to get a stroller and so I too learned to carry a baby like this and tie the cloth neatly."

Reminding her brother of the time they had still lived with their parents, she had slowly released her scarf and was now able to lift the animal out.

"A… cat?"

Lilia had to stop herself from laughing. Not only had Leo and Caleb asked that question at the same time, but the two sounded so incredulous that it was too funny.

"Yeees, a cat... Come here, lovely one," she whispered. With the animal in her arms, she walked the few steps out of the open kitchen to the couch and sat down. Immediately, the cat crouched on her lap and looked at the two young men with watchful eyes.

"But you cannot just bring a cat home, Lilia! What if I have a cat hair allergy? And where did you even find it?"

"Oh please, Leo, I'm your _twin sister_ , if you had any allergies, I'd know about it. And I saved the poor guy here from really nasty kids who hurt him. Look here, he's hurt on the back of his neck, and I've been dressing the paw, because it didn't want to stop bleeding. Could you-"

"Hey, I don't want to get involved, but-"

"Then don't do it, Caleb!"

"But," with raised eyebrows, she looked at her brother's friend, who had just raised his voice, "to me, it looks like a vet would have to look at the injuries. This could quickly get infected."

Caressing the animal, Lilia felt slightly guilty that she had been so rude to him. With a deep sigh, she nodded.

"Actually, you're right. But this late none is open anymore. And I just have no money to go to the hospital. So I thought that you, Leo, could help my little friend?"

"Me?" Her brother looked at her with bewilderment. "Did you also drink something? How could I help? I don't even understand anything about animals!"

"Maybe, but you understand something about... you know... magic. Surely there is a healing spell or something?"

Leo dropped onto the couch next to her with a snort. "Of course, sister, and then what? Will you bring injured animals home every day so that we can open a pet shop in a week or so?"

Tears filled Lilia's eyes. She had completely blocked out that her brother could never really understand her love of animals. "Why are you so mean, Leo? Sometimes I wonder why you were blessed with the gift of the goddess. You don't do anything meaningful with it!"

"Well, it's not my fault that you're the black sheep of the family. And why are you taking it so hard at all? You got the good looks with your sweet blue eyes and blond curls. That's something too."

Oh, how she hated it when he was that way. Only with difficulty could she suppress the anger that spread through her. Sometimes, Lilia even liked arguing with her brother – after a hard day at work she was able to cope with her negative energy and bad feelings this way. But now it was about the little creature in her lap and it was in pain! Clenching her hands into fists, she suddenly felt a tender nibble on one of her thumbs. Surprised, she looked at her hand and saw that the cat had turned in her lap and looked at her now.

And Lilia couldn't help but get lost in those beautiful and profound eyes again. That was such a strange cat. Even if Lilia had wanted to, she couldn't break the eye contact with the animal, and she began to feel how calm filled her completely. It was as if the cat was giving her its calm just by looking at her. With a peaceful sigh, her clenched hands opened again and the animal broke their eye contact first by licking over the back of her left hand. This made Lilia laugh, but the new lightheartedness was quickly over again. Because that's when her brother said, "And just for your information, I don't know a healing spell. But I can get you a few drops of V. That should cure the little guy as well."

While Lilia shouted an incredulous "what?" the cat suddenly arched its back and hissed threateningly at her brother. And out of the corner of her eyes she saw how Caleb crossed his arms with a disapproving frown.

"Don't talk about it, Leo! You know very well that she shouldn't know about it."

At these words, the cat hissed at Caleb as well, and Lilia felt sharp claws cut into her thighs. With a wince she turned from one to another.

"I repeat my question! What? What are you talking about? What do you have to do with V? In what crooked deals are you two involved? Leo, have you forgotten father's zero tolerance limit as far as drugs are concerned? What are you thinking?"

"Calm down, I don't take this stuff. We only investigate it in the coven."

"Oh yes? And where did you get it? To my knowledge, you can only get V if you either get it for expensive money from a dealer or when you clobber a vampire yourself. And that's both forbidden and inhumane!"

Her brother snorted and that infuriated Lilia even more. She was aware that the cat, with loud meows, was trying to get her attention, but she didn't dare doing more than putting her hand on the animal's back. After all, Lilia didn't want to hurt it any more by hugging it too much.

"Forbidden... No law states that it is forbidden to take blood from a vampire. You-"

"Shut your mouth! I cannot believe you're doing that, Leo. Honestly, have you really forgotten everything grandma and mother taught you? And you call me the black sheep of the family. What you are involved in is contemptible and disgusting. Vampires are also living beings and have a right to integrity and peaceful life!"

That made her brother smile sadly. With a casual movement, he pulled his right leg to his body and turned on the couch so that he could look fully at her.

"Little sister, would you say that to a vampire too when he's about to suck you dry? Because that's what they mostly do. And don't forget that before our civilized time, the ancients had no scruples about killing anyone who came across them."

His words caused Lilia to snort now. "And what about the young vampires of our _civilized time_? Are they guilty enough to be fair game just because of the fact of being a vampire? Because you cannot tell me that older vampires are careless enough to get caught by these drainers."

A persistent scratching made her look down and the sight of the bandaged paw reminded her again why she was having this discussion. Disappointed, she shook her head and looked at her brother again.

"I hope for you that you didn't kill a vampire, big brother. Because they too are creatures of our goddess, don't forget that. And now excuse me. If you cannot help me, I have to scrape together my last savings and go to the clinic."

Just as she took the cat up carefully and wanted to rise from the couch, she heard Caleb's voice.

"Actually, there is a healing spell, especially for animals. And while you argued so nicely, I had the text sent to me."

"What? Really?"

Unbelieving, Lilia looked at Caleb. Not only had she literally forgotten that he was there, but she didn't think he would help her. With Caleb being such a close friend of her brother, she had automatically assumed him to share Leo's view and that he didn't care about animals.

Ashamed of her own prejudice, she gently put the cat down again and gave Caleb a shy smile. "Thanks, Caleb, I really appreciate your help."

Seeing him smiling, she heard a weary sigh behind her and turned back to her brother. He had leaned his head against the couch and placed his left arm over his eyes. When he spoke, Lilia was surprised again.

"That would be clarified then… And of course I don't want that the animal is in pain! You know that's why I suggested that V stuff. What I just don't like is that you don't even ask me before you bring a pet home. Because that's my home too after all! And don't you dare contradict me, I know that you will keep the animal, Lilia." After a brief, defeated sigh, he dropped his forearms on his thighs and looked at his friend expectantly. "So go on, Caleb, is that spell difficult?"

"Um... not really… in any case, two should recite the spell, so that it may work both internally and externally. All you have to do is change one line and then we'll get both."

"Show me please, take a seat," her brother asked his friend and Caleb sat down between the two siblings, nearly brushing against Lilia's knee.

Lilia wanted the boys to be able to focus on the matter in peace and therefore concentrated herself on caring for her little friend by stroking the soft fur under its head. After a few minutes, however, she became restless and stood up with the cat in her arms and started strolling through the apartment. As if to reassure her, the cat began to purr and snuggled closer to Lilia.

"I'm so sorry it takes so long. You know, I had thought that by now I was resigned to being the only one in my family that couldn't use the magic provided by the goddess. But at times like this, I still wonder why the goddess is not well-disposed to me. If I had access to magic like Leo, I could have helped you much better. But you've heard it, I'm a black sheep..."

A gentle meow let her lower her eyes, and in wonderment, Lilia asked herself if the cat was really looking at her with a raised eyebrow. This looked so unnatural to an animal and at the same time so human that Lilia couldn't help but giggle.

"Baa..." Because of her sudden imitation of a sheep her little friend tore its head back which caused Lilia to laugh loudly.

"I'm sorry, that was just the sound that sheep make. But you've probably never seen a sheep before, right?"

The cat made a noise that sounded like a snort and Lilia once again wondered about this animal. It had clearly sounded amused and Lilia was beginning to question herself seriously if this cat was really a normal domestic cat. Eyes narrowed, she tried to find answers in those beautiful eyes, but before she could really get started, she was suddenly interrupted by Caleb.

"We're ready, Lilia. You can come back."

"Did you hear that? Now you will feel better soon. Because although my brother is often an insensitive idiot, he can do magic very well."

Whispering to her new friend, she stepped back to the couch and looked questioningly at her brother and his friend. "Should I sit down or where do you need me?" But before she could get an answer, her little friend began to writhe in her arms. A pitiable meowing came to Lilia's ears and she looked at the cat in surprise. "Heeeey, what's wrong with you?"

Confused, she sat down a little away from the two young men on the couch and tried to calm the animal. But whenever she tried to put her hands reassuringly on the soft fur of its back, it deftly twisted around and finally sprang onto her left shoulder in an elegant motion, hissing at Leo and Caleb.

"But... what... ouch! Hey, my hair isn't a good hiding place! Please come back down."

Without success, Lilia kept trying to grab the cat, but the animal just crawled to her neck and was completely covered with her hair a few moments later. "Wonderful..." she wailed and turned to her brother and his friend. "Could someone help me here please?"

But neither of them came to her rescue, but leaned back with a grin.

"I don't touch that animal. Didn't you hear how it hissed at us? I still need my fingers!"

"Maybe it just doesn't like magic?" Her brother scratched his head despite his mischievous grin and Lilia sighed and spoke to the animal again.

"But we only want to help you, my little cute fur bundle. Come back into my arms. Can you do this for me?"

A faint whimpering confirmed Leo's suspicion and Lilia looked at them questioningly. Leo really seemed to be thinking about a solution, but his friend just shrugged his shoulders absent-mindedly. But, suddenly, she had an idea herself.

"Do you have to see the little guy for the spell to make it work? Or can't you just send that spell into the room? If it's a healing spell specifically for animals, wouldn't it work? When he calms down later, I can still take him out of my hair."

"I have a question first." Caleb looked skeptically at Lilia. "You always speak of the cat as of a male animal. Are you sure that _it_ is really a _him_?"

"Uh, no idea. For me it is a him. My feeling tells me that."

"Then it will be true. Your feeling is usually right, little sister. We can have a look later, if we have to call the little guy Fritz or Fritzi."

Again, an annoyed hiss sounded out of her hair which made Lilia laugh. "Looks like he doesn't like your name suggestions."

"Whatever, first we have to help Casimir."

"Oh goddess, that's getting worse and worse..." Resigned, Lilia gently shook her head so as not to throw the animal off her back. "But you're right about the other issue, brother. And please hurry, yes? I'm really done for today."

The two of them finally seemed to notice her drooped shoulders and tired expression and nodded. Caleb handed her brother a piece of paper and was about to read the spell. But her animal heating pad seemed to have noticed it and was just about to jump off her back and flee so Lilia quickly turned around and grabbed the animal out of the air while embracing it with her arms again. The miserable meowing then started again, but Lilia looked reassuringly at the little fellow.

"Hush, everything will be fine – I promise you that. I see that you are afraid, but believe me, the magic of the healing spell will help you. Your wounds will close and the pain will go away..."

Although Lilia now sat with her back to the two young men, she felt it when the two started to recite the spell. They really had to be whispering because she couldn't hear a clear word. But even though she wasn't able to use the energies of nature herself, she had always felt them. Smiling, she let the magic flow through her and into the animal lying embraced in her arms. Because she could feel the fear in the animal, Lilia kept their eye contact. Its breathing was fast and it let its tail lash back and forth nervously. But slowly and surely the timid meowing became quieter and Lilia's smile widened.

"You're doing great. You'll see, the pain will be gone soon."

To calm her furry friend even more, Lilia began to hum and gently rock the cat back and forth. She didn't even have to come up with a song for humming. She just adapted the rhythm to the pulsing power that enveloped them and did its work. It was a nice feeling, soothing and peaceful, and Lilia saw the moment in the cat's eyes when the pain faded away. With a big smile, she answered the astonished look of the cat and put it back on her lap.

"You see? Everything is alright."

Carefully, she untied her provisional bandage around the paw and sighed contentedly after she had also checked the former wound on the neck of the animal.

"Perfect, now you're well again. Then we will get you something to eat and drink, okay? We just have to look if we have something for you." Lilia straightened up with new energy and turned to her brother and his friend. "Guys, thank y-"

Only now did she realize that both had slumped down on the couch with their eyes closed.

"Oh shoot! What's wrong with you?"

With a slight sense of panic, she jumped up and shook her brother.

"Leo, do you hear me? Say something!"

To her reassurance, both seemed to breathe normally, and her loud shouting seemed to work as well. Because Caleb turned his head to her with a deeply disturbing growl.

"Don't scream like that..." he muttered barely audible.

Relieved, Lilia sank down on her knees beside the couch and automatically began stroking the cat, which had immediately jumped onto her lap and nestled against her. "What happened to you, Caleb? Was that the spell?" This time she had lowered her voice and Caleb nodded gratefully.

"Yes, I didn't think that we would need so much energy for such a little animal. But don't worry, tomorrow we should be fit again. Just… let us… sleep..."

His voice had become quieter with each new word, and even before he had finished the sentence, he had already fallen asleep. With a gentle smile, Lilia looked at the two and then gave her brother a grateful kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you, both of you."

Then she looked down at the cat. "Do you want to help me make it a little comfier for both of them?" Immediately, the cat jumped from her lap so she could get up. "Since I'm not strong enough to take either one, let alone both, to bed, they really have to sleep on the couch. But at least we can cover them up and pad the floor with cushions so they don't hurt themselves if they fall off."

No sooner said than done, and just a few minutes later, both her brother and Caleb, whom she had carefully taken off her brother and pushed to the left side of the couch, were covered. But just as she piled a few pillows in front of Caleb on the floor, her brother rolled off the couch.

Startled, Lilia jumped up and stared in disbelief at the image in front of her. Her brother lay on his stomach with half-open eyes and stared at the cat, which sat with curious eyes and with its head tilted to the side in front of him and returned the piercing look.

"Who are you?" Leo growled, and the cat actually raised an eyebrow. It was such a typical human gesture that Lilia inevitably wondered how old the cat was. For it had to have lived with a human for a very long time in order to get such a facial expression. But they could worry about that the next day. With determined steps, she went behind the animal and took it under its arms to pick it up. This movement had been unconscious and she didn't think anything of it when Leo watched the cat as Lilia straightened up with it. The animal's hind legs dangled in the air and Lilia frowned when she saw her brother's grin while he had a clear field of view on the cat's genitals.

"What?"

Groaning, slowly Leo rose and shuffled towards the bathroom. "Before you block the bath, I prefer to relieve my bladder. And you were right. It's a _he_."

Her gut feeling in regard to the cat's gender confirmed, Lilia grinned too. She wanted to kiss her fur friend on the nose, but she noticed that it looked attentively in the direction of the living room window. On closer inspection, she found that it had a somewhat absent look and now also looked to the window.

"What do you see there, my pretty little fellow? Is there a bird in front of the window?"

Lilia wanted to go to the window and look outside, but after just one step, the animal turned back to her with a short, but demanding meow and again captured her with its inscrutable look. If she hadn't become so tired in the meantime, she would have sworn that it was trying to hypnotize her. With a sigh, she sat down on a chair and cuddled with the animal that could captivate her in such a mysterious way with contentment and calmness.

Only the flushing of the toilet brought her back out of her almost sleepy state, and winking, she looked at her brother who approached the couch again with shuffling footsteps. Closer than before, he lay down next to Caleb and reluctantly put an arm around his friend's chest.

"You know, you could have gone into your own bed, brother," she whispered, smirking. But he just stared back at her with a wicked expression.

"What kind of host would I be to let my friend sleep alone on the couch? And now away with you, I'm totally drained! And make sure the little guy doesn't make a noise, otherwise I'll castrate him..."

Lilia didn't know if he was serious, but hearing how the cat yelped in alarm, anger rose in her and she threw a bag of tissues to her most likely already sleeping brother.

Heading to the sink in the kitchen, she spoke reassuringly to the fur ball that had pressed itself even closer to her.

"You don't have to worry. I would never let him castrate you. How can he just say such a thing! With me you are safe. We'll find out where you're from, and then I'll bring you back – intact, of course."

Holding the cat with one hand, she took a bowl from the kitchen cupboard with the other and filled water in it. Then she set the bowl on the sideboard and put the animal next to it. "You should drink a bit. I'll try to find something for you to eat in the meantime."

But except for a can of tuna, Lilia didn't find anything that seemed aptly appropriate.

"Is tuna with the many other ingredients okay for you?" she wondered out loud and looked doubtfully at the can while standing next to the drinking cat. Before she could decide if she should open it or not, a paw suddenly came down gently on her left hand and she watched in disbelief as the animal almost imperceptibly shook its head.

"Oh, wow, I just feel like you could be my Salem."

She had to laugh at its questioning expression.

"Well, just that I'm a Sabrina without magic powers... But what did you want to tell me? Aren't you hungry or do you just not like tuna?"

A lively meow answered her and Lilia took that as approval that either way it didn't want to eat it.

"Then we'll just buy you real cat food tomorrow?"

This time it rubbed its head against her arm and responded with a purr.

"Okay, you convinced me." Lilia laughed softly, and then stifled a yawn. "Want to stay here while I jump under the shower quickly? You can- Oh, okay, okay, I got it." She laughed again and walked with the cat, which had landed with a quick jump back on her shoulder, to the bathroom. But just before she could close the door, she noticed a disturbing sensation between her shoulder blades. Looking back around carefully, she only saw both Leo and Caleb sleeping soundly on the couch. Otherwise, everything seemed to be quiet in the apartment.

"Tell me please, my beautiful cat, do you also have the feeling that we're being watched?" she curiously asked her furry neck roll. Attentively, she let her eyes glide through the living area again and again. She couldn't explain it, but something drew her eyes to the large window that the cat had been looking at a few minutes ago. Yes, the light was still on in the living room with the adjoining open kitchen and yes, in front of the big window was neither an opaque curtain nor a blind. But on this side of the house, there were no other buildings, only a narrow strip of overgrown garden that no one had ever strayed into since Leo and she lived here. Furthermore, they lived on the third floor! So no one could be in front of the window watching her. Right?

"These are certainly just my nerves. The day was really exhausting," Lilia tried to calm herself and scratched the cat under the chin, so that it purred even louder.

"Let's just go to sleep quickly..."

Tired but determined to shower first, she closed the bathroom door behind her, shutting out the feeling of being stared at by the dark night outside.


	4. Chapter 4

**~ Finding and letting go again ~**

  
So his office was bugged. Actually, he should have assumed so. Fuck this Sophie-Anne. And fuck this magister. With a low growl he thought about this messed-up night. But it had already started yesterday. First he had shown his new dancer the local conditions of his nightclub – and Yvetta was a more than open-minded toy to his ideas to put the basement to a good and, above all, carnal use. And then Sookie had paid him a visit in this lavender-colored dress, much to his enjoyment.

However, thanks to his assassin's poor performance, the sexual excitement Eric had built up by fucking Yvetta for half the night had long since died and hadn't returned. Mr. Rubin was usually reliable, but this time he had failed him terribly in abducting Bill Compton – which now put Eric in this tricky situation.

But brooding didn't get him any further, so he took his precious golden fountain pen, which he had once received from Godric for the opening of Fangtasia, and issued Sookie's check. With an elegant movement, he then closed the pen again and smirked. Sookie would certainly be more than satisfied with this sum. And who knew? Maybe she would come along to personally thank him...

But now he first had to give Pam an errand to run and had just opened the door from his office when he heard right about the next problem.

"Oh… you have to be fucking kidding me! Where is he, Ginger? You had _one_ job the last few days – taking care of that cat and bringing him back this night! Eric will be more than pissed when he finds him gone!"

Listening to Pam's loud and threatening voice, he had immediately shut his office door. Until he had checked how good the technical devises were that Sophie-Anne had used to bug his office, he didn't want to take any chances. The risk of revealing _his_ little secret, which – besides him – only Pam knew about, he couldn't take. And under no circumstances could Eric let his queen catch him. Or maybe she had already done that? Eric recapitulated quickly where he had been with him in this building and where he had talked about him with his progeny. It was pretty much everywhere, but with an inwardly contented growl, he realized that his office wasn't a part of it. So Sophie-Anne couldn't know anything about him. Unless she had bugged other parts of his bar too. But if she had, Eric couldn't do much about it right now.

Once again, he mentally went through that dawn in Dallas, which had him face a huge agony and… mystery. After Sookie had brought him the news of his maker's death, Eric had collapsed without a spark of residual hope. He had barely felt it before – Godric had almost completely suppressed their bond to spare him the pain when their thousand years old connection would be severed. But with Sookie's words, he had no longer been able to deny it... How should he have lived on with this all-consuming crippling void inside of him? Deep down inside he still felt Pam, his lazy but loyal Pam, trying to support him emotionally through their bond, just saving him from losing his mind completely. But right then and there he hadn't wanted it, hadn't wanted to feel her fear for him inside his chest. No, he had wanted to be angry at Godric and more than anything else, he had wanted to just pull the light-tight blinds out of its hinges and follow his maker through the lights of the sun. And he had been determined to do so. But no matter how hard he had tried, his maker's last command had kept him tied to the bed he had sat on in this desolate hotel room. And _that_ had been strange. With a frown and a blurred field of view, he had thought about how that could be. Because just as the glamour of a vampire on a human vanishes when he or she is turned into a vampire, so did the commands of a maker when the maker-progeny-bond is torn apart.

Eric still found this whole circumstance highly odd, but since he had come back from Dallas he had become accustomed to the new situation. But now he should be gone? His already bad disposition continued to darken, and with a low growl, he approached the source of his new displeasure.

"Ginger!"

While Pam looked calmly towards him, his longtime employee jerked with terror. Her eyes widened and she obviously tried to distract him by stretching her back and presenting her breasts, which as always were only covered by a much too small wafer-thin top. Eric appreciated loyalty and a more loyal breather than Ginger Eric hadn't known for several centuries. That's why he normally was very lenient with her. But not that night. Not when it came to _him_!

With an angry expression he walked up so close to her that she was forced to stumble back against the bar. And there she stood now – scared like a deer, well aware but not understanding why she was in trouble.

"My dear Ginger, have I ever done anything without meaning?"

She looked at him with her eyes wide before trying to answer him. "Um... I... I don't think so. But-"

"And don't you think there's a point in giving you the task that under no circumstances should you let him out of your sight?"

"But Eric... I don't understand, he's just a cat, isn't he?"

In the corner of his eyes he noticed that his Pamela was moving a few steps away with a quiet panic sigh. Bristling with rage, he closed his eyes for a few seconds. Ginger was lucky that he was over a thousand years old, because at a younger age, he would have let out that unrestrained fury that was about to devour him and torn the petite woman to pieces within a blink of an eye. If Godric had seen him at that moment, he would have been proud of Eric for having his anger so well under control.

This thought helped Eric to lean back a little and retract his fangs.

"It's none of your business if I get myself a pet, Ginger. And if I order you to take care of an entire zoo, then you have to do it. So, where's my cat?"

"I don't know, really..." She stared at him and trembled slightly. "I only noticed this morning that he was gone. He's constantly escaped. It's incomprehensible to me how he can open closed windows and doors. But so far he was always back after a few hours and then ate something and slept. But not today. I... of course I looked around in the neighborhood, but without success. Until just before I came here I've been looking for him."

Ginger just made it really hard for Eric to hold on to himself. "You let him out? Ginger-"

"No! I really don't! I don't know where you got that cat from, but I haven't heard of a cat that can open doors and windows before. Once, I watched him open the bathroom door to do his business into the toilet. It nearly freaked me out! It was as if he understood exactly how the door handle worked. I tell you, this cat isn't normal."

With the characteristic click he showed his employee his very sharp fangs again and growled loudly. "What's essential is that this cat is important to me! If something happened to him, you will answer for it, Ginger!"

With these words he turned to Pamela and gave her the check and further instructions on what to do in Bon Temps in his native tongue. Then he left his bar and settled on the roof. The night was still long and he would be damned if he didn't find him. Thanks to his queen and the magister Fangtasia was closed for the rest of the night and no loud music or disturbing human sounds penetrated his ears. It wouldn't be easy; their connection wasn't what it used to be. But he still felt it within his chest, and with an ancient breathing technique that had already given him strength before fighting in his first life as a human being, he became calm inside and concentrated on this frail connection that would lead Eric to _him_. He was confident that it would work. After all, it had worked before...

With his eyes closed, he had tried to understand what he was feeling. After repressing the overwhelming pain of loss to be able to think rationally again, Eric had noticed that he still felt a connection to Godric. It was as thin as a silk thread and somehow consistently slightly swinging and weakly echoing, like in a big cave. But it was there! As if in trance, he had mentally touched this delicate thread and followed this feeling that had led him out of the hotel room and down the hallway. With his eyes closed he had followed the slight vibration and a short time later Eric had felt the connection getting stronger and also... warmer. That was so unexpected! The last time he had felt such pure warmth he had been lying with a woman as a Viking in his best – and living – years. But this time this warmth and… joy hadn't come from within him – no, it had come from the other end of this thin connection. Hesitantly and – if he had been honest to himself – also a little anxiously he had opened his eyes. His thoughts had become blank when he had seen the silver cat with delicate black stripes and dots, who had sat down in front of him with a deeply contented facial expression. Eric had no idea how long he had just stared at the animal.

_'Could it be possible? How could it be possible?'_

His thoughts had begun to work at the speed of light, and with an infinitely cautious movement, he had plucked the bond within his chest, amplifying the vibration. At the same moment the cat had closed its eyes and started to purr. With widened eyes, Eric had slowly kneeled down in front of the animal and with deep awe had stretched out his right hand. Obviously feeling his movement the animal had suddenly reopened its eyes and had looked at him then with an astute gaze.

Eric had had no idea what was going on, but when the cat had rubbed its head against his outstretched palm, he had known he hadn't imagined it.

"How?" he had asked incredulously and had started stroking the infinitely soft fur of the animal with his long fingers.

"You're a cat…"

_Well, obviously, Eric._

Hearing the familiar voice of his maker in this head, Eric's body had literally frozen. And before he could have responded something appropriately – or anything at all – the voice had continued to speak.

_On the way down here I had time to think. Do you remember the young witch in Central Europe? At the spring in the full moon night, when you were so frustrated to have lost the trail of the werewolves and not finding some tasty enough woman to reduce your anger?_

Eric had then confirmed this memory with a nod when, suddenly, the extremely spicy aroma of the young woman's blood had again penetrated his palate for a moment.

_Well, the magic of this witch must have been stronger than we thought. I-_

Not letting his maker finish his sentence, Eric had almost painfully closed his arms around the small cat's body and had started sobbing uncontrollably.

"I don't give a shit if you're a cat, a dragonfly or a troll. You're alive! And I won't let you go anymore, you understand? And don't you dare throw yourself in front of a car!"

_Oh Eric... I am sorry…_

A small cold nose had rubbed against his cheek then and he had felt the rough tongue of the animal licking the red of his tears off his cheek.

"You're sorry?"

_Eric... let us go back to the hotel room. No one can know about this. As much as I find this... unexpected situation endearing, it could be dangerous for you._

With another nod Eric had gotten up with the cat in his arms and had been back in his hotel room within seconds. He had immediately thought through this new situation. Godric had been right; nobody was allowed to know about this. His maker might have been able to talk to him, but it couldn't be denied that he was now a cat. A small vulnerable animal! Should anyone kidnap him, that person would have Eric in his hand, for he would do anything to keep the most important person in his undead life unharmed.

That's what Eric had sworn to himself in Dallas on this early morning – to protect Godric in his new form. And now he was gone. But he would find him again. The memory of Dallas had strengthened the connection again and Eric felt a weak pull toward the West of the city. Immediately, he swung into the air and followed the undeniable urge to find his maker.

  
-x-x-x-x-

  
Eric couldn't believe it. His maker was in pain! But instead of coming home to him, Godric was in that more than average apartment in front of whose living room window he was floating! He didn't know who had inflicted the wounds on his maker, but he would find out. And then he wouldn't show mercy... But now he first had to think about how he would get him out and- Well, then what? Should he give him his blood? Would vampire blood even help animals? Thinking it through he came to the conclusion that it had to be so. After all, he knew that the werewolves the shadow man had commanded and who he had hunted with Godric since his awakening as a child of the night drank that man's blood and were stronger than normal werewolves. Yes, he would do that and then their bond would certainly strengthen again too. So far Godric had rejected his offer on the pretext of not needing it. But Eric saw now where it had led them.

Concentrating again on what was happening in that living room, he just saw Godric jump off the young woman's back and land in her arms instead. He heard his fader, broder, son meow miserably, and his undead heart clenched painfully. Thinking about the reasons of his meowing, he ejected a quiet but deep growl so that a few nocturnal moths flew quickly away from him. He couldn't bear to see Godric suffer!

Two breaths of the young woman later Eric suddenly felt everything in him tingling unpleasantly. It came from a clearly magical wave emanating from the two young men behind the woman. The realization struck him with the second wave: They were witches! His growling increased and he was ready to smash the window and kill the men by throwing big stones at their heads. The only thing that kept him from doing so was the blonde woman holding his Godric in her arms with calming words and sitting in the line of fire. Since he couldn't risk accidentally hurting Godric if the woman got scared and stood up, he therefore couldn't do anything but follow what was happening with his eyes narrowed attentively, and be ready to unleash all the power slumbering in his thousand-year-old blood on the three humans in this apartment, should his maker call for his help.

But what he saw amazed him at the end. The woman was the sister of one of the young men, and just as she cared for the two witches, she also spoke touchingly to his maker. And he seemed to like it! Catlike he grazed the woman, nudged her with his nose and... even licked her hand once, which made her laugh. Slowly, he floated closer and closer to the window, mesmerized by the play of the two. But then her brother, that Leo, had to wake up again, and after falling off the couch which Eric commented with a self-satisfied snort, he saw how the witch looked at his maker and the anger was boiling up again in his chest. Meanwhile, he floated so close to the window pane that his growling made it vibrate slightly. But then he suddenly felt an irremovable invisible pressure through the thin bond which connected him to Godric. Surprised, he put his hand over the place he felt the pressure within his chest and looked at his maker questioningly.

_Stand down, Eric! Your anger is inappropriate._

Eric didn't know how to communicate with him without the two humans noticing. But then he was distracted by the look of the girl resting on him. And her melodious voice reached his ear again.

"What do you see there, my pretty little fellow? Is there a bird in front of the window?"

Godric immediately tried to distract her and Eric was sure he was invisible, because of the darkness of the night around him. But as a precaution he nevertheless moved away a little from the window again and observed from a greater distance what the young woman was up to with his maker.

The next few minutes gave him both the pleasure of witnessing the somewhat one-sided conversation between the caring woman and Godric and the time to scrutinize her in detail. Surely she didn't look bad with her blond curls and blue eyes, which would certainly shine beautifully when she wasn't tired. She also had soft features that reminded him a little of Nora. But all in all she wasn't his type. And she was definitely too small for him. Even little Sookie was taller than she was. Nevertheless, she had a big heart, and when she threw the handkerchief pack at her brother, who threatened to emasculate his maker, she definitely picked up some courage points.

At the sight of his maker on the woman's shoulder walking towards the bathroom door with her, Eric's mouth twitched. He had never thought he'd see this side of Godric again. In the past, his companion had regularly watched the female sex bathe. But for more than two hundred years now Eric hadn't felt this silent excitement from Godric anymore that he had always felt when looking at soft female curves over which water sparkled. At that moment, however, he perceived joyful anticipation from him and Eric's lips shifted to a contented smirk. Yes, judging by his behavior, his maker was quite fond of this young woman and that he wanted to watch her shower was a good sign.

It took almost exactly fifteen minutes until the young woman opened the bathroom door again and, wrapped only in a towel, looked around attentively in the open living room. Eric grinned; she had good senses and hadn't forgotten the apparently unpleasant feeling of his staring when she had retired to the bathroom. In order not to draw her attention to himself any more, he lowered his gaze a little and continued to wait. Meanwhile, a gentle wind had refreshed his skin, caressing it pleasantly. Still feeling the joy of Godric, Eric closed his eyes and listened to the nocturnal sounds of the city. So this night came to a halfway good end; Eric was meanwhile sure that his maker was safe with this woman for the time being. Nevertheless, he would of course do a background check to know who he was dealing with. Fishing his cell phone out of his jacket pocket, he paused in the middle of the movement when he heard the young woman's astonished voice again.

"Wow, I've heard, but never seen with my own eyes, that a cat is really using a human toilet. Thank you, then I don't need to buy you a litter box."

A flush and the sound of the tap later, she came out of the bathroom with Eric's maker on her shoulder and laughed softly while holding the towel she was still wrapped in.

"Just you wait, little friend. As soon as I tell Leo tomorrow that you even wash your paws, he can't say anything against you."

With a deep sigh she turned off the lights in the bathroom and in the open living room and left Eric's field of vision as she stepped into the hallway. He continued to hear her quiet footsteps of her bare feet on the floor and automatically floated to the next window. Not a second later, the light was turned on there, even if it was only a dimmed night light. Her sighs resounded again and Eric wondered if Godric had done anything to upset his hostess. Her next words, however, taught him something else.

"I wish I could keep you, you know? On my way home today, I wondered if I should give an animal a home. And then you run into me..."

Invisible to Eric, the young woman slipped into pajamas behind a large cupboard door. But he knew that Godric could see her. He had jumped on the bed and sat down looking at her. A deep contented purr that Eric had already noticed in their bond, while his maker had been witness to her showering, now filled his chest again.

"But unfortunately, you already belong to someone. That's why you won't be able to stay here. Your owner will certainly miss you."

With tired footsteps she waltzed to her bed in the sparsely lit room and fell on the bed next to Eric's maker.

"Do you want to sleep in bed with me? You- oh..." Godric had immediately snuggled up to her and purred loudly, which in turn elicited a clear laugh from her, which ended quickly in a yawn.

"Do you mind if I leave the night light on?"

With a smirk Eric watched as she covered herself and Godric with a continuous green blanket. As it seemed, she was afraid of the dark. If only she knew that a former wight of the night was sharing a bed with her... But here too he had been mistaken, as her next words proved.

"You know, my brother would call me crazy if he knew, but it's a tradition of our family. There's an old story told from generation to generation. Leo's and my ancestors come from Europe, you must know, and one dark evening, when a full moon shone and our ancestor regained her powers which are given to us by Gaia she met two creatures of the night, vampires. At that time in history they were only legends or evil omens among humans, but my family knew they existed."

With slight movements she stroked Godric's animal body again and again and he enjoyed it with his eyes closed. But Eric wasn't deceived – his maker listened very carefully to the story, because they both knew it! _They_ were the two creatures in her story, now eagerly waiting what the young woman would tell. And with the knowledge that she was a descendant of the tasty maiden, Eric noticed that the sleepy woman next to his maker had inherited some of her facial features – the soft curves of her face, the long eyelashes, gently curved eyebrows and the noble high cheekbones.

Meanwhile her eyes had closed and her voice muttered softly so that Eric could examine her completely. But he also had to fly very close to the window. Normally he had no problem hearing even the quietest sounds in an apartment. But he suspected that the witch brother had protected it with a spell. This could filter out quiet noises and even make them inaudible for the otherwise excellent auditory vampire sense.

And so, for the first time in his undead life, he had to make an effort to follow the story that the woman told his maker as Good Night Story. But whether they would hear the end of it wasn't sure yet, because by now her hand had come to lie still on Godric's back and she was already breathing sleep-equally evenly. Visually, Eric didn't notice any movement of his maker, but he felt a slight impatience in their bond and grinned as the animal finally approached the woman's face and licked her nose. That caused her eyes to slowly open again and she looked at the cat in front of her slightly reproachful and with a soft growl.

"All right, I'll tell you more about it... But then you let me sleep, understood? I'm so tired..."

Godric nudged her again and elicited a yawning smile from her. "You know, just as I find you charming, my ancestor found the two vampires fascinating. She made them a promise that... that they would always... an open... therefore the light, so that they can find us... when they... need..."

Again she felt silent and both Eric and his maker knew that there was no point in keeping her from sleep any longer. But what she had told them Eric already found very interesting and an idea came to him. Gently, he called silently to Godric and not a second later the cat turned its head in his direction. Carefully, he rose from the woman's embrace and jumped from the bed to tap lightly to the window. With an elegant jump he landed on the windowsill and opened the window with his paws without any problems.

"Do you think this part of the spell is still active?" Eric asked quietly.

_It is worth a try._

With a thoughtful expression Eric's maker looked at the sleeping woman and then back at him again.

_It is astonishing that Lilia does not have any magical abilities, but her brother does. I have always thought that the female descendants inherit the magical heritage._

"Yes, that's what you taught me." Eric carefully stretched his left arm into the room and didn't feel any barrier. "In any case, she's definitely a descendant of the young witch from the spring." His hands buried casually in his trouser pockets he silently placed his feet on the carpet and walked the few steps to her bed. Looking at the sleeping woman, he slowly bent down to her and sucked the air around her eagerly into his lungs.

_Eric! What are you doing? Do not wake her!_

"Don't worry, I don't intend to. But you're right. It's strange that she shouldn't be a witch. Can you still perceive it? Her blood smells of magic. If it were just this healing spell that the two men performed, only her skin would smell of it because she was sitting between you and them. But with her it goes deeper, into her cells."

Slowly, he moved his face just a few inches above her from her upper arm over her elbows to her hand and fingers. With closed eyes he inhaled her scent and was automatically reminded of the exquisite taste of the witch Magdalena. His fangs began to throb and he quickly straightened up again, turning around to Godric at the same time, who had sat down again on the edge of the bed.

"But enough about her. What I want to know concerns you! Why did you run away from Ginger?"

_Why? Do not expect me to be in your employee's apartment all day, Eric. I can walk in the light. After thousands of years, I can finally walk in the light of day again and feel the warmth of the sun on my skin and soul... Do you still remember that feeling?_

Without waiting for an answer, Godric just kept talking.

_I apologize to you for taking away this experience and-_

"No! No, no, no! Don't you dare to regret that you made me vampire. That you made me your fader, broder, son!" Eric's voice was distorted with rage, and at the same time he felt some odd lightheartedness and sadness shining through their bond.

"Say again that you are sorry and I personally make sure that this girl doesn't wake up the next morning!"

His last words had been quiet again, but Eric knew that when Godric heard them, that he saw red. His maker immediately jumped up with an immense hiss and hit Eric's chest with his claws in seconds. At the same time he felt the connection to Godric as strong as he hadn't felt since his mysterious transformation into a cat. It was as if Eric was overwhelmed by all the sudden thoughts and feelings of his maker again, like in the night of his rising as a vampire. His mind was unable to deal with such a sudden possessive rage of Godric, his closest confidante, and for a moment he literally lost his balance.

When the indescribable pressure within his chest subsided and Eric could think clearly again, he found himself sitting on the floor next to the bed and looking into the bright eyes of his maker, who stared at him with an angry gaze.

_Do not make the mistake of threatening me again, child. I may not be physically up to you anymore, but our connection is still strong if I allow it. Never forget that, Erik Godriksson. You will not touch this woman or stalk her. She was nothing but friendly to me and saved me from my attackers, took me with her and gave me a safe place to sleep after healing my wounds._

"I understand, fader."

_Good. What you can take care of is this: Her brother's and his friend's coven seems to be experimenting with vampire blood. Leo mentioned V and that they are investigating it. But before you do anything against Lilia's brother, I want to be informed._

"Yes, fader." Thanks to his centuries-old age, he managed to preserve his blank facial expression when he was told the news about the V. He really had to put an end to this problem.

Eric felt the claws that had bored themselves into his skin disappear and then Godric had jumped on the bed again and looked down on the young woman.

_I will stay here and try to learn more about the magic that has transformed me into this form. Go now. I am sure that you still have obligations this night._

With a nod Eric rose and went to the window. Jumping off the windowsill out into the night without hesitation and closing the window carefully from the outside, he looked back again and became aware of Godric snuggling his cat body against the young woman.

With a smile, Eric turned around, flew towards Fangtasia and summoned his Pamela to him if she hadn't already finished her errand in Bon Temps.


End file.
